1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to latex elastomer based compounds, a process of making latex elastomer based compounds, latex elastomer based oil seals, and a process for making latex elastomer based oil seals using latex elastomer based compound. Particularly, the present invention is directed to latex elastomer based oil seals and process thereof that do not use volatile organic compounds.
2. Related Art
Oil seals prevent lubricants or other contaminants from traveling into and from a housing or structure. Oil seals are used in a wide range of equipment from pumps, motors, gear boxes, construction, mining machinery, and industry equipment. In fact, oil seals are used in plants in virtually every industry such as metals, pulp and paper, chemicals and picture chemical, power generation and more. An oil seal structure with lip and heel stock provide sealing between a shaft and housing or other structures. Oil seals are generally used with pumps, motors, gearboxes, and other devices utilizing rotating shafts. However, uses for oil seals are not limited to devices utilizing rotating shaft; oil seals can be used with any apparatus with a shaft and housing where isolation of the interior and exterior of this housing is desired.
A variety of oil seals and methods of making oil seals are known. Although such conventional methods and systems generally have been considered satisfactory for their intended purpose, conventional oil seals are often made with volatile organic compounds which have several disadvantages.
One of the disadvantages of making oil seals with volatile organic compounds is the waste of materials and excess cost associated with curing. When making oil seals with volatile organic compounds, curing is often necessary or helpful. However, the curing step creates waste and unusable material by exposing material to extreme heat and pressure. Curing particularly create waste when endscrap material is exposed to extreme heat and pressure and allowed to partially cure. Endscrap is excess material removed from a calendered compound that is partially cured and considered useless due to the irregular form and curative state. Endscrap that is subject to curing is not usable and must be trimmed from the edges and disposed of in a landfill. The cured endscrap which is unusable results in about an 8% or otherwise significant loss of material from which oil seals are made. Just like endscrap, preform scrap that is subject to curing is also unusable due to irreversible effects of heat aging. Preform scrap is material that is partially cured, removed from a rolling tube and considered useless due to the irregular form and curative state. Cured preform scrap must also be disposed of in a landfill. In a typical oil seal production facility, endscrap and preform scrap material account for several thousand pounds of unusable waste annually. The wasted unrecyclable endscrap and perform scrap translates to a loss of tens of thousands of dollars.
Besides the waste of material and excess cost, the curing step required with volatile organic compound has other disadvantages. Curing makes molding the lip and heel stock of the oil seal more difficult. Curing makes molding more difficult because volatile organic compound subjected to curing are less homogeneous and uniform. Making oil seals out of homogeneous uniform material is more cost effective than making oil seals out of cured volatile organic compounds which are not as uniform and homogeneous.
In addition to the waste of material, additional cost, and environmental concerns regarding diminishing landfill capacity, another disadvantage of making oil seals with volatile organic compounds are greater safety concerns. Additional safety precautions must be taken when handling, using, and storing volatile organic compounds due to the increased risks of fire, over-exposure, skin irritations, respiratory problems due to inhaling emissions and complying with various environmental regulations such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
Using volatile organic compounds to make oil seals is also inefficient in terms of time and equipment utilization. Volatile organic compound must be prepared and mixed in limited sizes and quantities. Volatile organic compound cannot be prepared in mass quantity.
There thus remains a need for safer and more cost efficient oil seals which retain the structural and performance benefits of conventional oil seals, but which do not use volatile organic compounds.
The invention relates to latex elastomer based compounds, a process of making latex elastomer based compounds, latex elastomer based oil seals, and a process of making oil seals using latex elastomer based compounds. The invention relates to a latex elastomer based compound comprising of aramid fiber, barium sulfate, magnesium oxide, carbon black filler, curative, latex flouroelastomer, mineral filler, and metal oxide and oil seals made of this latex elastomer based compound as well as a process of making such oil seals. The invention also relates to a latex elastomer based compound comprising of aramid fiber, mineral fiber, barium sulfate, mineral filler, glass fiber, carbon black filler, sulfur, curative accelerator, curative, antioxidant, latex nitrile elastomer, polyester fiber, and metal oxide and oil seals made of this latex elastomer based compound as well as a process of making such oil seals.
The invention also relates to a process of making latex elastomer based compounds comprising of providing ingredients for the latex elastomer based compound; combining the ingredients, rinsing the latex elastomer based compound; drying the latex elastomer based compound; masticating the latex elastomer based compound on a rubber mill; and calendering the latex elastomer based compound. The process may further comprise of plying the latex elastomer based compound. The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in and apparent from the description that follows, as well as will be learned by practice of the invention. Additional advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by the methods and systems particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof, as well as from the appended drawings.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute part of this specification, are included to illustrate and provide a further understanding of latex elastomer based compounds, a process of making latex elastomer based compounds, latex elastomer based oil seal and a process for making oil seals using latex elastomer based compounds of the invention together with the description.